


Two Ships In The Night

by c0cunt



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Implied forced prostitution, M/M, Mutual Pining, Past Abuse, Pirate Captain Shiro, missing keith returns, potentially triggering content in chapter 2&3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-24
Packaged: 2018-12-10 21:55:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11700639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c0cunt/pseuds/c0cunt
Summary: Keith Kogane was notorious on the seas.  Positively wicked with his trademark blade, jeweled hilt that practically glowed; first mate to Takashi Shirogane, who evened out his temper; the second born son of Zarkon, poised to inherit the ocean of pirates who groveled desperately underneath his father's thumb.  Until the failed coup.  Until he disappeared.  Until Takashi Shirogane rose as the captain of Voltron, swearing vengeance against the Galran Empire.Until a ship crashes, and changes Captain Shirogane's life once more.





	1. The Shipwreck

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys i am here just in time to ignore S3 coming out in a few hours and posting one chapter a week for this!!!!!  
> (there should be four chapters, unless ch4 spirals out of control, as up to ch3 is written)  
> if i'm asked, i may bump up the rating on this, 'cause i'm more than a little bad at figuring out what rating it should be

     Even though it had been extremely hard fought, Keith could say that he was doing pretty well, with only smooth sailing ahead of him.  At least until, with an almighty crash with enough force to nearly throw Keith through the helm, the boat lurched to a stop.  Keith shook his head violently as he heard yelling, and the sound of people landing on his ship.  Fellow pirates, then.  He grabbed for his blade’s scabbard, drawing it even before he had unplastered himself from the helm of the ship.  He was met on the staircase by a short person, brandishing a sword that was bigger than their body, and Keith snarled as they met his attacks almost equally.  It was a short struggle that ended with Keith knocking their sword out of their hands, but before he could get his bearings on what was going on, a giant hand clasped the back of his neck, and shook him like a ragdoll.

 

     With a yelp, Keith struggled against the new attacker’s iron grip, before he was dropped unceremoniously, losing his sword on the way down in fear of stabbing himself with it.  He tumbled down the staircase, just as he heard another voice shout “There’s no one else on board!”  Well, fuck.  Keith had almost forgotten he was alone, but he could allow himself this defeat when no one else was at his back.

 

     “Parley, I call parley.”  Keith wheezed out to the deck of his ship, as he heard another person land on his ship.  There was a scoff from someone above him, before he was dragged to his feet by the iron hands from before.

 

     “Why should we agree to parley when  _ you _ crashed into  _ our _ ship?”  The same voice that had announced the lack of crew sneered.  It belonged to a lanky, darker skinned man, with chestnut brown hair and a nose that scrunched up in distaste as he glared at Keith’s ragged form.  The person that had attacked him earlier sighed as they elbowed the rude pirate in the side, and Keith finally got a good look at them - their glasses were seafoam stained, and windswept brown hair spiked out at all angles.  They had a hold of Keith’s sword, and they had been staring at it suspiciously before elbowing their crewmate, who looked about to explode with anger.  Before the other could speak again, a familiar voice spoke just loud enough to send shivers down Keith’s spine, chilling him and warming him in the same breath.

 

     “Lance, even though he did run into us, you can’t deny him the right to parley.  I’m sure he has a good reason for what he did.”  Keith craned his head around the large body of the man holding him, searching for confirmation that it was who he  _ knew _ it was.  There, before him for the first time in four years - Takashi Shirogane, the captain of Voltron, who was partially responsible for Keith’s four year imprisonment.  Keith sucked in a breath as the man holding him turned them both to face the captain, wondering for a painful moment if Captain Shirogane would even  _ remembered _ him.  Judging by the pained look that dashed across the man’s face, Keith could assume so.

 

     “Keith…” Shiro whispered, shock and awe clear in just his spoken name.  It took more effort than Keith would ever admit out loud to suppress a series of shudders that wanted to run through him just from hearing Shiro say his  _ name _ again.

 

     “Did you miss me, captain?”  Keith heard his mouth say, without consulting his brain.  His voice was hoarser than he thought it would be, after a few weeks of silence.  There was a squawk of indignation from behind him, as Shiro took a sudden step forward, before restraining himself visibly.

 

     “We have a lot to talk about, Keith,” Shiro said softly, only for Keith’s and his guard’s ears.  He could recognize the softness in Shiro’s eyes, that had only ever been for Keith before, and it nearly took his breath away to see it again.  Shiro then cleared his throat before addressing the assembled crew.

 

     “Lance, Pidge, both of you search this ship for any valuables.  Hunk, bring Keith aboard the ship…”  Shiro hesitated as he glanced down at Keith’s face, an apology already visible in his eyes.  “The brig, for now.  We’re gonna sink this disgusting lump of wood as soon as we clear everything from it.”  Shiro said firmly.  Lance and Pidge let out almost identical hoots of delight as they scrambled away, the shorter one dropping Keith’s blade without a second thought.  Keith lunged for his sword, but was beaten there by Shiro, who picked it up reverently.  Hunk pulled Keith back sharply, one hand easily encircling both of Keith’s wrists.

 

     “Just for now…” Shiro murmured as he looked at the weapon that had been Keith’s for almost as long as he’d known the man.  The blade itself was slightly worn, its gleaming silver dulled from overuse, but the gems in the hilt shone like they had been polished earlier that day.  Though, if Keith were the same as he had been last Shiro saw him, then they hadn’t been polished since the blade had fallen into Keith’s ownership.  

 

     Hunk shifted nervously behind Keith, before he cleared his throat and tightened his grip on Keith’s shoulder.  “C’mon,” the bigger man muttered, before lifting Keith and easily shouldering the other.  Keith barely allowed this to happen, gritting his teeth as he stared at Shiro, who appeared to be lost in thought as he stared at Keith’s blade.  

 

     “I can walk,” Keith’s voice scratched on the way out, through gritted teeth.  Hunk let out a small huff as he shook his head slightly.

 

     “Dude, you were wobbling like a drunkard when Pidge fought with you.  Even though they’re not the best swordsman, I was a little worried for you.”  Hunk said candidly.  Annoyed, Keith kicked a foot sullenly into Hunk’s solid body - it didn’t even slow the other man down, and that pissed Keith off more than anything else.  He  _ knew _ he was off his game - he was so goddamn tired, and when had he eaten last, and...Oh.  A little mortified, Keith watched as Hunk literally walked from the ship he had stolen, onto Voltron.  He’d caused  _ a lot _ of damage to the other vessel.  Hunk seemed to understand Keith’s silence, and started babbling as they went below deck.

 

     “Don’t worry too much about it.  We have the money to get the hull fixed, and possibly the supplies on hand as well.  Besides, Shiro’s a kind captain, he won’t blame you for this...Er, too much at least.  Like, he wasn’t even upset when Lance…” Keith tuned Hunk out slightly, every bit of training he’d ever gotten reminding him to search for exits, potential weak points, anything to aid in his escape.  They descended lower, and Keith wondered for a fast second if Shiro’s captain’s quarters were as it would’ve been the last time he’d been there - a thought that Keith immediately dismissed.  Four years was a long time, and so many things could change with a person.  It was best not to think about things that had happened.

 

     Keith wasn’t surprised by how clean the brig of the ship was.  Clean, and light too, the few cells were all empty, but each one had at least one bed chained to the wall, with actual bedding.  Keith couldn’t help thinking about things like lice and bedbugs, even as Hunk placed him in the first cell, swiftly closing the door as he stepped back and locked it up.  There was also a chamber pot, which Keith was intensely grateful for - the Galran ships  _ always _ stank this far down from human waste, not even including what was from the transportation of slaves.  

 

    “Shiro should be down in a little bit,” Hunk said as he left the brig, leaving the door to the corridor open.  Keith could faintly hear shouting from above, what sounded like merely a handful of crew, and Shiro.  Even from so far away, he could hear Shiro.  With a sigh, Keith cautiously prodded the bedding on the far wall.  Nothing seemed to move in it, and Keith’s bones ached at the thought of laying his head down, even for just a minute.  He  _ needed _ sleep - Keith didn’t even pretend to stifle the way he groaned as the soft bedding cushioned his body.  He was sound asleep within seconds.


	2. The Past, Revisted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's dreams are basically the retelling of memories that're better left in the past.
> 
> Warnings for character death, non-graphic murder, and Keith being left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was actually the least troublesome to write - i think it took me two hours, total, with editing included?  
> anyways, i don't think i actually thanked my datemate for reading everything over - so i'm thanking them now ♥ ♥

     There was a fire spreading through the port city of Arus, and the proximity of it to the jail cell Shiro and Keith were locked in was more than a little worrisome.  People outside were screaming, and the stench of burning flesh made Keith’s head spin, even with Shiro’s hand pressed against the small of Keith’s back to ground him.  The Blade of Marmora had insisted that a fire, a diversion, was the best way to break them out - that no one would get hurt.  But judging by the grim look on Ulaz’s face as he unlocked their cell, as well as the  _ smells _ and  _ sounds _ ,  _ nothing _ had gone as planned.  

 

     “Ulaz, the fuck is going on out there?”  Shiro tried to ask calmly as he shot out of the cell, dodging around the older man’s attempt to stop him.

 

     “Shiro, get back here!”  Ulaz hissed, catching Keith’s stretched out collar as he tried to follow Shiro.  Shiro had frozen at the doorway with his back to them, and Keith easily pulled out of Ulaz’s grip, to slide up next to his captain.  Keith spared a glance up at Shiro’s face, before the chaos outside grabbed his attention.  

 

     The tavern across the way had burned almost entirely, and the tightly packed houses on either side had caught fire as well.  Which made  _ no _ sense - the Blade’s plan had been to light it as far away from the jail as possible, to distract the Galra.  Even worse - Keith spotted several bodies of Blade members strewn across the street like broken ragdolls, as well as a few Galran bodies and civilians.  It was a war zone.

 

     “We were compromised, there was no other choice.”  Ulaz insisted as he shoved both boys out of his way, dragging them in the direction of the docks.  “Sendak’s crew ambushed Thace and his men as they were about to light, and Lotor had rounded up a few of our members to ‘make examples’ of…”  Ulaz trailed off as he spotted a very familiar, bulky figure up ahead, waiting patiently for them, a bloody body crumpled at his feet.

 

     “Boys.  You know where to go.”  Ulaz said tightly, not taking his eyes off of the motionless body.  Keith could just barely make out the distinctive hairstyle of one of the men that had helped raise him.

 

     “Yes, sir.”  Shiro said tightly, a hand already gripping at the hem of Keith’s shirt to keep him from confronting the Galran captain waiting sickeningly for them.

 

     “Your weapons are in Slav’s barn.  You know where your ship is waiting.  Run.”  Ulaz commanded, as he unsheathed his sword.  Keith barely processed those words, before Ulaz was charging at their enemy, and Shiro was already pulling him in the direction of Slav’s homestead.

 

     Keith trusted Shiro’s knowledge of Arus to keep them from getting lost, not having spent as much time in that particular city before.  Shiro led them down alleyways between smouldering buildings, and more than once forced them both into the shadows of a building to avoid detection as packs of Galran pirates pursued either a sympathetic civilian or a Blade of Marmora member.  Sometimes both.  The only time they stopped running was when Shiro spotted a small, broken body in the middle of the road, and guilt stabbed him in the heart.  Keith had recognized the look on Shiro’s face in an instant, and it was Keith that dragged them both into a less exposed alley, where two mostly-intact buildings shadowed them.

 

     “Look at me, Shiro.”  Keith commanded, bringing both of his grimy hands to cup Shiro’s face.  Shiro’s panting turned desperate, his eyes widening in panic that he tried desperately to stifle.  Keith tried to set his breathing to a more bearable pace, one that Shiro could copy while letting his screaming lungs get the air they needed.

 

     “You’re doing good, we can get through this,” Keith whispered, his thumbs gently brushing Shiro’s cheeks soothingly.  It took more time than either of them had for Shiro to recover, and the older man was still a bit trembly when he pushed off from the building he was leaning against.

 

     “Slav’s, we gotta get to Slav’s,” Shiro muttered, determinedly not looking in the direction that he had before.  Keith trotted after Shiro’s careless march forward, through a band of frightened civilians, who scrambled out of Shiro’s way as if he were infected with something dangerous.  (Not too far from the truth, Keith thought bitterly of the Galran seal on Shiro’s shirt, visible to anyone that looked his way.)

 

     Slav’s homestead had always felt like another world, to Keith.  The sprawling, unkempt land almost mimicked jungles that Keith had been told stories about, with only a pair of buildings on the entire property.  One that housed the slightly manic ex-pirate, and one that housed his scientific instruments - that was the building they were heading towards.  Keith felt millions of eyes on them as Shiro led the way down a slightly worn dirt path, glaring at the trees every few seconds in the hopes that the feeling of being watched would go away.

 

     “Finally,” Shiro breathed in relief as they came to the small clearing before Slav’s barn.  Keith would’ve agreed, but he still felt like they were being watched, so he merely grunted as he shoved Shiro towards the sagging door.  With a few heavy shoves, the door lurched inwards, allowing the pair to slip into the dark building.

 

     Barely any light filtered through the skylight, or the multitude of slight cracks between wooden boards.  Even Keith wouldn’t attempt to navigate this potentially hazardous building with such little light - though the lack of one sense made the others that much stronger.  Shiro and Keith both froze as they heard the crackling of a torch and harsh whispers.  With nothing left to lose, Keith blindly reached for the oil lamp that Slav kept hanging on a hook by the door, along with the book of matches.

 

     The sudden brightness was more blinding than the darkness had been.  Keith blinked rapidly, hoping that his eyes would adjust fast enough for them to form a plan better than the risky idea forming in Keith’s mind.  Shiro let out a relieved sound as he spotted their swords hanging not too far away:  The broadsword that Shiro had trained with for years looked so much larger than Keith’s, it’s bejeweled handle shining brightly in the low light.  Keith snatched up his sword, feeling as though he had found a missing piece of himself again, as his eyes searched the floor for the slight indent that Slav had shown him what felt like a lifetime ago.  The crackling sound of fire grew louder, and the world outside the barn grew brighter.

 

     “Shit,” Shiro cursed softly, glaring at the only door he knew of, as Keith dropped to the floor, wiping away years of dirt as his fingers scrabbled for the slight-there!  With a huff, Keith dug his fingers into the edges of the trap door, and pulled it up just far enough for a person to crawl down into.  Shiro only managed to stare, as smoke started to seep through the wooden walls.

 

     “Shiro, go!  At least one of us can get out of here,” Keith snarled through gritted teeth.  The door was heavy, the weight that much worse the longer Shiro stared and  _ didn’t leave. _

 

     “Keith, I can’t…” Shiro begged softly, as he cast around for another way that they could escape together.  Keith bared his teeth as he readjusted how he was holding the door, not looking at Shiro.

 

     “Either we both die here, or you go, Shiro.  I’m not letting them have you again.”  Keith chanced a glare in Shiro’s direction, blaming the smoke for his eyes starting to water.  He was going to lose Shiro again, and it was all  _ his fault. _

 

     Shiro’s warm hands, callused and rough, gently cupped Keith’s face.  Under any other circumstances, Keith would’ve punched Shiro, but as it was, Keith was out of hands.  Shiro’s lips brushed Keith’s, a fleeting comfort, and then pressed more firmly.  A promise, as the crackle of a growing fire and smell of smoke became unbearable.

 

     “I  _ will _ come back for you,” Shiro breathed against Keith’s lips when he finally pulled back.  Keith refused to meet Shiro’s gaze, nodding at the black hole yawning open underneath him.

 

     “Go, be safe.”  Keith gritted out as Shiro crawled into the hole, his sword dragged awkwardly at his side.  Once Shiro was far enough in that Keith could close the door, did he finally sag down, cutting off Shiro’s parting words.

 

     And then he was alone.

 

     He was alone, and he  _ knew _ that Lotor was out there, waiting, as he covered the trap door as best as he could.  Shiro would escape, and that was all that mattered to Keith - but he still could to buy Shiro more time.  Keith unsheathed his sword, as he felt for the weakest part of the wall, smiling savagely when he found it easily giving under the weight of his hand.  With a snarl, Keith shoved his way through the rotten wall, and attacked the nearest Galran pirate - one he recognized vaguely, a portly fool named Varkon, who loved the ruler of the Galran empire more than most were comfortable.  Keith cut him down without a second thought, now knowing which band of disgusting pirates had followed him and Shiro.  The smoke was thicker out here, but Keith had broken out into the side without flames, so he considered that a point in his favor.  He couldn’t just slip away like he desperately wanted to - he had to draw attention to himself, give Shiro a better chance at escape.

 

     “Cowards!  Cornering us in a barn, and trying to burn us out!”  Keith yelled, over the roar of fire as he headed towards the front of the barn, wary of everything moving that could be hiding a potential enemy.  He was more than grateful upon being attacked by a pair of Galran pirates, who yelled for backup as they frantically parried his vicious attacks.

 

     Keith may have been a master swordsman, but even he could not keep up as more pirates crowded him into the wall of the barn.  He knew it was over when a particularly large pirate was able to brush his shoulder with their hands, and Keith raised his hands in defeat with a hoarse shout of “parley”.  No one appeared to have heard him, as rough, grubby hands grabbed at Keith from all sides, ripping his clothes as they moved forward as a unit.  Surrounded on all sides by hostile pirates, Keith had very little choice but to let himself be walked and prodded until they reached the docks.

 

     Prince Lotor stood at the edge of the dock, his back to the growing mob of pirates that had surrounded Keith and squawked their way into his vicinity.  The crowned son to the empire, many feared him more than Zarkon - Lotor was known for his bloodthirsty ways, with punishments that far outweighed the crimes.  Keith knew better than to let his fears show, as he was shoved to his knees by the large man behind him.  Light from the moon above and several lit torches cast Lotor’s face in shadows, as he slowly approached (and many of the pirates gathered stepped back).

 

     “My, my, Kogane.  You and your little Marmora friends sure have caused a lot of trouble,” Lotor scolded, gesturing to the burned out shell that had been Arus, where screams and smoke still wafted downwind to them.  Keith held his head high even as he was dragged to his feet like a ragdoll, determinedly keeping his thoughts away from the little inlet that held the ship where Shiro would be escaping to.  Lotor bent down until his face was level with Keith’s, bored but annoyed.

 

     “I will only ask you this once,” Lotor hissed, nose to nose with Keith.  “Where.  Is.  The Champion?”  Keith’s jaw worked, and the pirate holding him shook Keith as if that would make words come out of their captive more easily.  Instead, Keith spat directly in Lotor’s face, hoping that would express his utter contempt for the men around him.  Lotor did not freeze, but everything else around them did, waiting in terror for what Lotor would do.

 

     “You will live to regret that, Keith Kogane.”  Lotor said simply, not even bothering to wipe his face.  “Our father will find a use for you, though.  He’s good at finding new purposes for old weapons.”  And then Lotor nodded at the man holding Keith.  The last thing Keith knew was a bright spot of pain at his neck, before passing out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading the new chapter!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  
> kudos and comments are always loved and appreciated!!!  
> seeya next time~!


	3. Awakened

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -slips this here before jogging off to take care of real life stuff-

     Keith’s eyes snapped open, unseeing as he shot up out of the soft cot that he had been sleeping in.  He was, unsurprisingly on a ship, in what looked to be the brig of a high class ship, with chamber pots and everything.  He definitely wasn’t on a Galran ship, but...Keith squinted as he fought through four year old memories to the more recent past.  His terrifying escape from right under Zarkon’s nose.  Stealing a Galran ship by himself, and getting into open waters.  Three days of paranoia as he sailed as quickly as possible, away from the islands that had been his prison for the past four years.  Struggling against sleep, as well as his other needs, and then crashing…Someone cleared their throat, and Keith reached for his sword, missing from his hip, as he focused on whoever was intruding.

 

     It was the pirate from earlier - the one that had wanted to refuse Keith’s demand of parley.  Keith’s eyes narrowed as the boy strutted into the brig, eyeing Keith just as warily.  There was something else in his eyes, though - pity, maybe? - that made Keith bristle.  Shiro had mentioned this pirate’s name as Lance, and Keith wasn’t sure if he liked this guy one bit.

 

     “Do you always scream like that in your sleep, dude?”  Lance asked, sounding slightly concerned.  Keith decided that he didn’t like him, eyes narrowing at the almost lazy way he meandered further into the room.

 

     “I don’t scream in my sleep,” Keith automatically denied.  Anyone that would admit to such weakness on the prisoner islands was doomed to suffering twice as bad,  _ especially _ if Lotor had any idea how fucked up someone had become.  Lance gave Keith the driest look, as he leaned against the wall opposite the cell door.

 

     “Then I guess it was someone else with your voice begging for Shiro’s help,” Lance snarked, as lead filled Keith’s belly.  How dare he betray himself like this?  In front of a stranger, no less!  Keith eyed up Lance, who shifted nervously from the murderous look on Keith’s face - at least he had some sort of self preservation.

 

     “If you tell anyone…”  Keith trailed off, hearing more footsteps in the hall leading up to the brig.  They were light, quick steps, someone in a hurry.

 

     “Lance, Hunk wanted to make sure you weren’t bullying the prisoner,” A slightly nasally voice complained, and the swordsman (Pidge?) that Keith remembered duelling poked their head into the room.  The dark circles under their eyes also indicated they hadn’t had much sleep - Keith felt slightly sympathetic.  He still felt like he needed another decade of rest to make up for what he hadn’t been able to get lately.  Possibly Pidge glanced over at Keith for a moment, squinting as they adjusted their glasses slightly.

 

     “Is my ship..?”  Keith asked, clearing his throat at the sandpapery feel of those words against his throat.  He hadn’t had his own ship in  _ ages, _ not since before Shiro...Pidge let out a harsh snort, and Lance outright gagged.

 

     “There wasn’t really anything useful on board, so we sunk that Galran junker,” Pidge said with a shrug.  Keith bit his tongue, wanting to tell them just how important that junker ship had been.  How it had handled easily with one lone sailor, how it had been his only chance for freedom - unwilling to be vulnerable in front of these two, Keith let his eyes dart around the room.  Every potential weak point in the average brig - a window, rusty bars - seemed infallible on this ship.  Keith wondered for a moment if Shiro had Galran-proofed the brig.  As if summoned, Shiro appeared in the hall, squeezing his way into the small space between the cell doors and the wall.

 

     “Pidge, Lance, if you will,” Shiro said gently, but neither required more prodding.  Pidge was halfway down the hall at the mention of their name, and Lance slouched out of the room with a pout on his face, wanting to listen to what was going on.  Shiro leaned against the wall as he pensively watched the pair of pirates scuttle off, before focusing on the man before him.  Four years since Shiro had last seen Keith:  He could still see the glassy eyed, soot smudged face that had haunted Shiro’s eyelids for years, but the Keith before him was a different person.  There was a larger amount of fear in the willowy frame, a slight curve from cowering away from some form of punishment in Keith’s back.  Shadows in his dark eyes that hadn’t been there before.  Hunk worriedly telling Shiro about how unnaturally light the other man had been in his arms, and the thinness of Keith’s limbs.  Subtle things that hurt Shiro’s heart almost as much as the wariness in Keith’s eyes.  After what felt like a century of staring at each other, Shiro cleared his throat.

 

     “I...Keith…” Shiro wasn’t sure what to say, or how to being.  But apparently Keith did.

 

     “Four years, Shiro.  Where were you?”  Keith tried to ask with a level voice, but he choked on his question, a lump in his throat as angry tears burned his eyes.  Alarmed, Shiro scrambled over himself, dropping to his knees in front of Keith’s cell to catch his fallen gaze, one hand gripping the bar of the cell as the other reached out to Keith.

 

     “I  _ did _ go back to Arus for you, but you were long gone.  The crew that was waiting for us didn’t even want to wait for me to board, let alone come back to dock a day later.  And no one would tell me where you were, whose ship you’d gotten on,  _ anything. _  I thought…” The hand on the bars tightened for a moment, as Shiro steadied himself with a breath.  “I thought you were  _ dead. _  If I’d known…”

 

     “I wish I’d died sometimes,” Keith breathed, staring through Shiro as the last four years scraped at his mind.  Shiro’s breath caught in his throat as well.  “I was on Lotor’s ship...I think I was there for a few months before he turned me over to Zarkon…”  Keith trailed off for a moment, leaning his forehead against the bars, and allowing Shiro’s hand to tentatively touch his own.  It was grounding, the warmth of Shiro against him again, and it gave Keith the strength to continue.

 

     “Zarkon put me in the pit.”  Shiro’s hand squeezed Keith’s involuntarily, and Keith flinched away from the sudden pressure.  Shiro let out an apologetic sound as his other hand reached out to touch Keith.  The pit was where Shiro had earned the name Champion, where he and Keith had first laid eyes on each other.  Where Shiro had earned the right to join a Galran brigade, and Keith had left his father’s side to lead as well, only to put himself in an underling position for a former pit champion.

 

     “Keith, I’m so sor-”  Shiro started.

 

     “For a year, I was there.”  Keith continued with unfocused eyes, as if Shiro hadn’t spoken.  “Nowhere near as good as you.  Zarkon made me watch the remaining Marmora members be put to death.  He gave me the option of killing the traitor, Kolivan, and when I refused he called me a coward.  He announced that my punishment for cowardice was to be sent to Lotor’s mansion, to do ‘as Lotor fancied’.”  Keith’s eyes focused on Shiro then, the haunted look in his eyes slowly melting away when Shiro gently squeezed his hand.

 

     “Jesus...Keith…”  Shiro felt lost as he tried to think of what to say.  Lotor’s mansion was almost as well known as the owner of the mansion.  Only a few minutes walk from the pit, many reigning pit winners were invited to nights of debauchery with whomever they pleased among the staff if they had good winning streaks.  Gamblers from the pit were also welcome to purchase evenings (or a few hours) with whoever they wanted, as long as they were in Lotor’s book.  There was only one conclusion that Shiro’s mind leapt to, with the knowledge that Keith was kept  _ there, _ and Shiro wanted nothing more than to burn Lotor and the rest of the Galran empire to the ground.

 

     “Don’t,” Keith said tightly - he couldn’t stomach the idea that Shiro would pity him  _ now _ .  “I knew that...Shitty things would happen.  Better me than you, though.”  Keith forced his lips to tilt up at either end, but it was more of a fierce grimace than anything else.  Shiro let out a heavy breath as he looked up at Keith’s face.

 

     “You’ve been through so much, just to keep me safe...Thank you, Keith,” Shiro murmured, leaning his head against the cell bars, trying to get closer to the one man he’s wanted to see most in the past four years.  Tired, and maybe the slightest bit giddy, Keith pressed against the bars as well, as a genuine smile tilted his lips.

 

     “You don’t need to thank me, Takashi.  Given the same options, I’d do it again.”  Keith said, as if it was the most obvious thing on earth.  Shiro felt his heart squeeze tightly, half in awe of Keith’s resolve, half horrified.  Instead of voicing his concern for Keith’s wellbeing, Shiro rose to his feet, patting his pockets for the key Hunk had handed him earlier.

 

     “The most important thing on our agenda now, is taking down the Galran empire.  Which won’t be easy, especially without the Blade of Marmora or any other insiders.  But we almost brought them to their knees last time...”  Keith mused, allowing Shiro to move away and unlock the cell door.  Keith slipped out of the cell as soon as it was opened wide enough, relieved to no longer be behind bars as Shiro eyed him up.  

 

     “For old times’ sake,” Shiro murmured, as he pulled Keith close, angling the other man’s face just so.  Keith couldn’t suppress a smile as Shiro’s lips pressed against his, feather light.  A fleeting comfort, before their lips met again - a new promise, that warmed Keith down to the chilled tips of his toes.  He was still smiling when Shiro released him, gently squeezing Shiro’s arm to gain Shiro’s attention.

 

     “For old times’ sake, let’s fucking destroy the Galran empire,” Keith snarled, the easy smile on his face morphing into a twisted grimace.  Shiro could practically imagine blood on Keith’s slightly pointed canines; he couldn’t suppress a shiver of anticipation and fear.

 

     “Hey, let’s go up.  I should probably introduce the crew to you formally,” Shiro deflected, lifting an arm to wave Keith forward.  The rest of the crew  _ had _ to be curious about the hellcat that they had captured - it was just good manners to introduce the new first mate, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank y'all so much for reading!! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
> 
> unfortunately, i'm not sure how long it'll take for chapter 4 to be written. as of posting this chapter, it's about 1/4 written, but i also have a really intense work week coming up.  
> thank y'all so much for supporting me so far, and i hope you'll still be excited to see the next chapter!!! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


	4. Future Sailing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro brings Keith above deck to introduce him to the crew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so!!!! so!!! i am here with the last chapter of this fic!!  
> before we bounce on in, i wanted to thank all of you who'd encouraged me and said that waiting for the last chapter would be worth it. somehow, i was able to churn out most of this fic before work yesterday, and i edited it earlier today.  
> i hope this lives up to your expectations~

     Keith felt more than a little weird about leading the way back above deck - it was an unfamiliar ship, and even with Shiro a few steps behind him, it felt.  Strange.  Or maybe the strange feeling was from still getting reacquainted with how to move about a ship on the ocean, after almost four years of being land-bound.  Either way, Keith was on edge, and the sudden opening of a door near the base of the stairs made him jump back in surprise.  One of Shiro’s hands soothingly pressed into Keith’s shoulder, as an older man with bright orange hair and an impressive moustache barreled out of the room, clutching a few armfuls of schematics.

 

     “Ah, Coran!  Can you spread the word that everyone is to meet above deck?”  Shiro asked.  The man barely slowed down, but his voice echoed almost unnaturally loudly as he answered, making Keith flinch from the booming sound.

 

     “Can do, number one!  Just gonna bring these schematics down, then I’ll rally the troops!”  Only then did the man pause, turning halfway with a bemused expression on his face.  “Is that the prisoner who ran into Voltron?”

 

     Keith couldn’t stop a haggard glare at Coran, who merely let an eyebrow raise at the expression as he waited for Shiro’s answer.

 

     “He isn’t a prisoner, Coran.  This is Keith Kogane, and I thought it’d be prudent to introduce him to everyone, since he’s going to be part of the crew now.”  Shiro said mildly, the hand on Keith’s shoulder kneading comfortingly, like a cat’s paw.  It wasn’t too visible a gesture, but the look on Coran’s face changed minutely as he looked between Keith and Shiro.  

 

     “Ah, young love.”  Coran sighed, a gentle, slightly teasing smile on his face, ignoring the sputtering protests that Keith tried to make coherent.  “Carry on, number one, the rest of the crew will meet you up above in a few ticks,”  He resettled the papers in his arms, before continuing his fast pace down the hall, and disappeared through a door on the left.  Keith blinked slowly, slightly shellshocked, before rounding on Shiro, who was poorly hiding his laughter.

 

    “Number one?” Keith settled on asking, and that just made Shiro laugh harder, as he ushered Keith forward.  

 

     “Coran likes to call everyone by a number, and since I’m captain, he automatically started calling me one,” Shiro explained through his laughter, as Keith skeptically walked ahead again.

 

     “Lance is number two, Hunk is three, and Pidge is four.  Allura, you haven’t met her yet, is the only one he really refers to by name.”  Shiro continued fondly, as Keith stopped by the step ladder up to the deck, one eyebrow raised at Shiro.  

 

     “Most of the crew we have were former Galran prisoners...Or pirates that abandoned the Galra.  I think Pidge is the highest ranking person on board who wasn’t associated with the Galra at all,” Shiro said, nodding for Keith to lead the way up.  Keith merely frowned instead.

 

     “Pidge was the one I dueled with when I…” Keith trailed off, not wanting to be reminded exactly  _ how _ he had come across Voltron.  Shiro, on the other hand, couldn’t contain his grin.

 

     “When you crashed into us?  Yeah, that was Pidge.”  Shiro said with a small laugh. Keith glared, but couldn’t stop the faintest blush from staining his cheeks, so he scrambled up the latter, Shiro’s laugh chasing after him.  (If Shiro’s laugh cut off suddenly when he looked up after Keith, neither of them would mention that until  _ much _ later.)

 

     Above deck, a light breeze played with Keith’s hair, as the water below remained relatively calm.  Not so ideal for sailing, Keith mused, squinting up to see if there was any cloud cover moving above.  Shiro squeezed past Keith, who had stopped moving just in front of the ladder, and beckoned for Keith to follow him up to the quarter deck, as crew members trickled up from within the ship, buzzing with idle chatter.

 

     Lance had been the one at the helm, quietly directing the ship as he stared out upon the sparkling ocean, an unreadable expression on his face as Shiro strode over to him.  Shiro put a hand on his shoulder, before whispering to Lance, words that Keith couldn’t hear over the increasing clamor of sailors beneath them - but the look on Lance’s face changed from unreadable, to pissed off within a second.  Keith could barely meet Lance’s eyes, as the other man strode over with purpose, Shiro close on his heels.

 

     “Kogane,” Lance started loudly, hands balled into fists.  Keith slipped into a defensive stance, not letting his guard down for a second.  Lance glared at him for a moment, critically taking in everything Keith presented, before inexplicably softening.  Hands loose at his sides, with a tight shrug of his shoulders, Lance forced a smile at Keith for a moment.

 

     “Good to have you back on board.”  Lance said simply, before he walked over to the edge of the deck, whistling to gather everyone’s attention as Keith tried to make sense of his words.  Shiro’s hand found its place on Keith’s shoulder, as they made their way after Lance.  Keith schooled his expression into something more neutral as Voltron’s crew quieted down enough for Shiro to start talking, his hand slipping off of Keith’s shoulder.

 

     “As you all probably know by now, we picked up a most interesting person early this morning.  Probably woke a few of you up,” Shiro chuckled slightly, echoed by a handful below.  Keith gazed out at the people gathered below, not at all surprised that Shiro had amassed a more diverse crew than the one they had while working under the Galra, even if there were barely a dozen people gathered.

 

     “I don’t doubt that you’ve all heard of Keith Kogane.  But I want you to welcome him aboard, and respect him as you would me.  Lance has been kind enough to step down, and allow Keith to regain his former role as first mate.”  Shiro announced.  Keith’s head whipped around to stare at Shiro, bug eyed with shock.   _ That _ was what the whispering had been about?  There were surprised shouts from below, and whispers drifted up about Keith’s exploits under the Galra that made him want to crawl underneath a rock.  However, it wasn’t Shiro who rebuked them.

 

     “Hey, show some respect to your leaders!  If you have a problem with our captain’s choices, speak up now.”  Lance barked, eyes hard as stone as he glared at the rowdiest among the crew.  Not a sound rose up, and Lance nodded smugly.  “Thought so.  Shiro is still our captain, and if you don’t want to follow what he has to say, you’re always welcome to leave at next port.”

 

     “Thank you, Lance,” Shiro said barely loud enough for Keith to hear, but Lance tilted his head in Shiro’s direction, as if to indicate he had been heard.  The crew’s attention turned back to their captain, eager to hear what else would be announced.

 

     “Alright everyone, our next port is Arus.  We have a few repairs to be made, after all,” Shiro smiled as he dismissed everyone.  A few people laughed below, before everyone began to meander off to wherever they had been, and Lance once again took to the helm after nodding in Shiro’s direction.

 

     Once the crew had slowly dispersed, Shiro turned to Keith, who stood ramrod straight at his side, a look of shock still on the other man’s face.  Shiro couldn’t blame him; he hadn’t given anyone aside from Lance any bit of warning.  Keith might not have even  _ wanted _ to be named first mate, might not feel confident enough in himself to accept the title...But, it was done.  Shiro shook off his worries, before he cleared his throat, catching Keith’s attention.  Slow enough not to startle, Shiro lifted his hand to squeeze Keith’s shoulder, affection and wonder softening his face once again.

 

     “It’s good to have you back,” Shiro murmured, instead of the words he wanted to say.   _ Four years, _ he had to remind himself; it wasn’t likely that they could just pick up where they had left off.  Keith’s head tilted slightly, his face scrunching up as he examined Shiro - trying to pick out if the older man was being honest with him.  After a moment, Keith’s face resettled into a similarly soft, surprised look, as the corners of his lips lifted upward.

 

     “It’s good to be back,” Keith sighed, his hand reaching up to squeeze the hand resting on his shoulder.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank y'all so much for sticking around, and reading my pirate sheiths ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥  
> this is where their reunion ends, but there may be more to the story than this...  
> kudos and comments are always greatly appreciated, and you can always find me on Twitter, under the same username~!

**Author's Note:**

> ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ kudos and comments are always greatly appreciated!! ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


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